Try @ TXST

- Hi, everyone, my name is Giselle Kowalski and I am the podcast producer here at Texas State University, you're listening to "Try @ TXST," and maybe you're also watching "Try @ TXST" here on YouTube, and I'm here with Mary, Mary, what's up?

- Hi, what's up?

- How are you today?

- I'm good, I'm good. I'm excited to be here.

- I'm glad that you're here, I met you a couple weeks ago, and you work at the Outdoor Rec Center here in Sewell Park, which is part of the Recreational Center at Texas State, right?

- Yeah, I work for Outdoor Rec, I am a trip leader, Outdoor Center attendee, and then, UCamp attendee, and then, I also work our team-building program, so kind of a lot of it around, the only thing I don't do is the climbing wall.

- Okay, so you're a jack of all trades, but on the ground...

- A little bit.

- Not on the wall, okay, awesome. So okay, let's dive right into it, so what is the Outdoor Rec Center? How did you find it? Like, how did you even land this job?

- Yeah, I started with Outdoor Rec through trip leading, so I've been a trip leader for... I'm coming up on my third year, and then, I started working at the Outdoor Center a little bit last year and it's been really fun, it's been fun to learn about it and learn about all of our gear, but yeah, it's, like, a one-stop shop for outdoor recreation and stuff, like, for gear and stuff.

- Yeah, so for people who do not know, whether they be freshmen or even alumni, how can...? Like, can anyone just come up to the rec?

- Yeah, we're set in Sewell right along the river, if you're faculty, staff, alumni or a student, you have full access to rent any outdoor gear you might need to get outside and have fun, it's really cool, it's a super cool deal, especially if you don't have your own outdoor rec equipment, like, in the dorms or in your apartment, there's a lot of stuff that you need to get outside, so... And it's one of the most intimidating things about getting outside, so this kinda helps bridge that gap.

- And it's like... I was on a paddleboard kick this past summer and getting a paddleboard is quite expensive, but the fees at the Outdoor Rec Center are super affordable, can you talk about that a little bit?

- It's awesome, it's probably the most underground thing at Texas State, I think way more people need to know about it, so I'm so happy we're here, yeah, for two hours on a paddleboard, it's just 10 bucks, and I think during the summer before noon, it's half off, so if you start, if you come out at, like, 11:59, you could paddle for two hours for five dollars, like, it's so cheap, it's so cool, and that's not even camping equipment, like, it's awesome.

- Yeah, see, I didn't even know that there was the before-noon situation 'cause I showed up at, like, 1:00 PM, and it was still 10 dollars, and I'm alumni and I'm staff, so it's like, I... This is still available to you post-grad. Like, we're talking about equipment right now, both, like, on the river, and then, you also mentioned camping, out of all that kind of equipment, is there something that, like, people don't know about that's your favorite piece of equipment?

- We get a lot of river stuff just 'cause, like, this is the only college campus in Texas on a river, like, of course, we're gonna kinda gear towards that, and so, we get a lot of river kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, but I love it when people come and get camping gear 'cause you're there and you're like, "Where are you going?" And you get to learn about their trip and when they come back, you get to see how it went, maybe they were rained on, maybe there was a cool, like, view that they got to see, and it's really nice to, like, kind of proxy be on these trips with them, so that's really nice, I love it when people come and get camping gear from us, yeah.

- So I'm not much of a camper but I am very open to doing so, but you were talking about how you've led a bunch of trips and what are these trips called, are they called, like, adventures or...?

- Yeah, so I work with the Adventure Trip program, so you can sign up to come on a trip, we have, like, explore and hikes, which is just a hiking day trip, we take you all across Texas and the transportation is included, and then, we have backpacking trips, backpacking gear included, transportation included, all of the permits for the campsites are included, so, like... And then, we also have camping trips, kayaking, canoeing, we do anything and everything outdoors, it's really awesome and students just sign up, maybe pay a little fee and everything that you need is provided, you can just sit back, relax and enjoy nature, it's super cool and if... Like, for people like you who aren't as outdoorsy or, like, maybe they wanna try it, this is, like, the most accessible it's ever gonna be.

- I feel like when it comes to outdoorsy things, when you... Number one, like me, you don't know how to set a tent up and you're just... You're worried about that, knowing that you guys provide all that and you can teach it makes it so much more approachable, and you were just talking before we started rolling that you went on a trip and you just got back, what was that trip?

- Yeah, this was our first trip of the season was this morning, it was a freshman trail mixer, so we're doing this new thing for freshmen this year that I'm really excited about, it's free for all freshmen, you just register on Bobcat Hub and you show up, we take you on a little adventure, today was Spring Lake, it's really cool for freshmen because they don't know about all of these places in San Marcos that are, like, super accessible to them to get outdoors, so that was really fun, we all had a great time, it was really cool. We have another freshman trail mixer next weekend after this one to go to North Padre and we're gonna have a beach day, and it's free for freshmen, like, it's sick. We have a bunch of stuff this year that's super free for freshmen, trying to get them outside, show them around this place that they haven't been before, college is new, you can make a bunch of new friends, it's awesome, yeah, today was our first one.

- Yeah, I feel like this really changes your full college experience completely, if I would've known about this... When did you, like, start doing these trips? Were you a freshman when you discovered it?

- Yes, so there are programs like this, I think, in most colleges in Texas, and my brother worked for one in... Where he went to college, so I knew about it from him, and so, I came to Texas State, came on a couple trips, I went on two long break trips that we provide, so we go on longer, like, spring break and Thanksgiving break trips, so if you don't have any plans for Thanksgiving and if that's not your vibe, come on a trip with us, it's super cool and life-changing, but yeah, those were my first trips as freshmen, and then, they told me to apply and I did, and now, we're here.

- So that was one of my next questions is that... What is...? Do you have a favorite memory from doing any of these or, like, is there a trip that stands out in your mind? It doesn't have to be the full trip or just, like, a specific thing that happened that you're like, "Ah, chills."

- I feel like on every trip, there's a moment like that, like, when you're outdoors and, like, you're facilitating this kind of cool, all-immersive experience for other people, you get to... Not only do I have those moments, like, in the outdoors, like, it's just so beautiful and magnificent, and I'm so privileged to be out there, watching other people have that moment is just amazing, it's so cool. It's especially really cool when people who, like, aren't very outdoorsy and they're out here doing this, it's amazing to see them, like... That part of their brain click on and realize, like, "Oh, I should do this for the rest of my life," and it's amazing to watch, but, like, to get specific, this past, like, spring break, I led a trip, like, a long spring break trip, there was a big roadtrip and I was with my boss, Megan Wagner, hi... And I'm a wildlife bio major and I'm kind of novice at identifying things and, like, wildlife, and I kind of know the... How to behave respectfully towards it all, and on these trips, you get to learn how to behave respectfully in these outdoor areas as well, but she is a little bit more scared of wildlife and it was on our last night camping for, like, five days straight, and there was a little rustling in the grass in the Davis Mountains and she was like, "Mary, Mary," and I was like, "What?" And with the tone of her voice, I was like, "Okay, this is serious," I'm like... We're taking care of... Like, I think we had 12 kids with us, like, we're in charge, we have to keep them safe, and so, with that tone, I was like, "Oh, something's real happening," and we were kinda in, like, mountain lion country, I didn't think that... There's no reason they would be near our campsite, they don't like humans, we're annoying, we're loud, but she was just very scared, and then, I came over and she grabbed my hand, and she was like, "What is that?" And I saw rustling grass and that... Like, my heart was beating, I was like, "Oh, my gosh, what if it is a mountain lion? What do we do? Ah!" And it was a javelina. It was a pig. She was so scared, it was so funny.

- Yeah, it was just one of those moments where you're like, "Oh, wait, it's not that serious."

- Literally.

- That's awesome.

- Trauma-bonded.

- Trauma-bonded, yeah, literally, trauma until it's literally totally fine, that's funny.

- It was so funny.

- I can imagine that, see, that's one of those things with camping is that I hear one thing and I'm like, "Oh, my god, I'm not behind walls and I'm scared," but I mean, you had it all under control, so I'm glad that that went that way for you.

- [Mary] We'll keep 'em safe, we got it. We'll take care of it.

- That kind of brings me to, like, has anything unexpected happen to you while you're on the trails that has taught you a little bit about leadership?

- Oh, 1,000 times before, being a trip leader is, like, such an immersive learning experience. 'cause you're... It's a long training process 'cause our bosses need to know that we'll be okay in these type of situations, but, like, even in my freshman year, like, when I wasn't a trip leader, we were on... We were backpacking in Big Bend during Thanksgiving and we were at the highest elevation that we were gonna be that trip, it was like, we worked really hard and we're here, and we're made it, and then, we started getting a little cold and a, like, blizzard came in that we had not expected, it was not in any of our plans, like, it was kind of a roll-of-the-dice event, the weather's very unpredictable but that's why we love the outdoors, and we woke up in, like, this beautiful winter wonderland, but I don't think anybody slept at all that night, it was an adventure, it was kind of type-two fun, but I loved it, it was so pretty when we woke up, but if you have ever been camping, you know that waking up is the hardest part. You're in that sleeping bag, it's early in the morning, you're not used to waking up this early and just, like... And then, it's cold everywhere around you, but my leaders woke up, my... We all got started working and I was like, "Okay, let's go," and I found that, like, having a good attitude in that moment was extremely contagious, we all broke down camp super fast, we all helped each other out and, like, kinda took initiative, did our part, some people were, like, really cold and so we would, like, help them out and break down their tent for them, and all just be a team, so I don't know, I wasn't even a leader... Like, a... "On the job" then, but even then, like, if you're not a trip leader on these trips, you have so many opportunities to positively affect the group, and, like, have that kind of community bond and lead by example in that type of way, but yeah.

- So when it comes to the outdoor rec and all that you've learned, how has that shaped, like, your Texas State experience?

- Oh, my gosh. It's, like, made it, like, I love outdoor rec, I'm doing it all the time, it's, like, given me such a strong community, like, my roommates are people I met through trip-leading, they were my old colleagues and they taught me how to be trip leaders, so now, I live with them, and they're my roommates and I love them, and then, all of my, like, bestest friends are all trip leaders and we're all, like, in this huge outdoor rec, getting-outside kind of echo chamber along with my major being kind of earthy or whatever, it's been really nice 'cause, like, I don't know, I always knew I wanted to be outside for a majority of my time on this Earth, so it's nice to, like, be able to start that here, I don't have to, like, wait for my career to start, I can do that here with... At Texas State, like, it's been really cool.

- Yeah, and that's one of the things that also made me come here as a student was that it's... It is so nature-full, like, whenever... No matter where you look, there is a beautiful tree, there's a literal river running through campus, like, there's never a... What is the word I'm looking for? There's never a lack of opportunities to be outside here, like, you don't have to go very far.

- It's so accessible. It's so accessible.

- So we're talking about how, like, you've gotten to experience all of this while you're here, how are you going to do this kind of experience past Texas State? Like, where is this gonna take you?

- I graduate next spring, so I've been thinking about this a lot, I don't know, I think I'm gonna, like, stay in San Marcos for a while, but the next, like, career thing that's going on, I feel like I wanna be, like, a river-rafting guide, like, out in, like, whitewater, somewhere outside of Texas, somewhere, like, probably less urban, more wild, and... But San Marcos is honestly the best example of, like, a functional relationship between urban life and nature, like, the city does so much to, like, protect our wildlife and natural resources, so I love that, but, like, getting more kind of in the back-country and becoming a little river guide would be cool, and then, like, my master's because why not?

- What is it like for you seeing someone doing, like what we're saying, something like this for the first time, whether it be paddleboarding, what is that feeling for you and, like, do you have any, like, memories looking back on that?

- It is... The biggest, like, feeling I get is, like, just giddy, I'm so excited for them to, like, try and fail, and try again and maybe even fail again, but it's, like... One, it's kinda funny, like, I took my... One of my best friends, Hugo, on a... One of our backpacking trips and we had just hiked, like, five miles, and watching him try to set up a tent after five miles of a really heavy pack on was hilarious, so sometimes, it's... It can be funny, but most of the time, I'm just so excited to watch them realize, like, "Oh, I can do this, oh, it's not that hard," and, like, it's kinda like riding a bike, once you figure out how to work a camp stove or set up a tent, you're set for life, so it's really rewarding giving people that kind of endless knowledge and reassurance that they could do these things, it's really cool to see, it's really cool to see.

- What advice do you have to someone who's...? Like what we're saying, is nervous about doing all these things or, like, coming to the Outdoor Rec and renting equipment out, what would you tell them?

- I would say everybody starting out in outdoorsy-type stuff feels the same thing you feel, you're kind of nervous, you don't know if this is for you, before college, I didn't feel, like, very outdoorsy and, like, getting into this job, I've, like, had to fight imposter syndrome extremely, for me, beginning, like, gear was the most intimidating thing, I don't know what I need out there, I don't know, like, if it'll be unsafe or if I'm doing it "the right way," biggest thing, there's no one right way to be outside, I thought there was, there isn't, you can sit down on the paddleboard, you can stand up, you can go camping and not bring, like, the best amazing tent, you can go camping and just have a sleeping bag, and you know what? If you survive, you camped successfully, that's kinda morbid, but, like, there's, like, so many ways to do it and, like, you can... It can be a little bit more difficult, but that's kinda part of the fun is challenging yourself in that way, and, like, with the Outdoor Center, that gear kind of isn't as intimidating, you have these resources, also the internet, you can look it up, but, like, there's no one right way to do it, I have some friends who, like, went to a national park and, like, tried to go backpacking, and I would say that they went the more challenging route but they still did it, like, at least they're getting outside, so, like, don't think that there's one right way, there's 1,000 ways you can be an outdoorsman and the point is that you're trying, so try, please.

- Yeah, try it at Texas State. Try it at Texas State first. And then, there's also people like you that are able to actually help, and teach, and guide, like, this is why we have these resources, like, it's people like you who make the community happen, so you're doing a great job.

- Oh, thanks.

- So what do you think about the Outdoor Center is so special to make a community like this?

- It's, like, so special because, like, we already have the river which, like, connects, I'd like to think, all of Texas State students and just... Or as many people who interact with the river as possible, but the Outdoor Center kind of creates this community in that it's there for you and it's never not gonna be there for you, we wanna get you outside, we wanna get you sharpening these skills or even just trying it at all, like, it... Like, the Outdoor Center is there for you to, like, make this easier, and our goal is just to get you outside and make you outdoorsmen or, like, just enjoy it because we have it, it's our, like, duty as humans to enjoy it, like, I don't know.

- Yeah, no, that's a beautiful answer, so for anybody that wants to learn more about the rec, where can they find it? How can they get involved?

- Yes, you can look up "Outdoor Rec Texas State" and it'll take you to our website, you can look up "adventure trip program," come on a trip, it's super fun! You can look up "Outdoor Center," anything on the Texas State website, like, with "outdoor," I'm pretty sure it'll lead you to this, and then, you can also just check us out at Sewell, we're up there, there's a big sign, pull up, ask any question you want, we'll be so excited to see you and talk to you, and then, yeah, just get outside and you might, like, see our equipment floating on the river and you'll be like, "Where'd you get that?" And all that stuff. Yeah.

- Awesome, well, I'll definitely be coming to visit you one day, Mary, so...

- Oh, yay!

- Look out for me, but...

- Oh, also the climbing wall at the Student Rec Center also counts as Outdoor Rec, so pull up, go climb a wall.

- Multiple places that you can go to find the Outdoor Rec, well, thank you, Mary, this has been a great conversation.

- Yes, thank y'all.

- Thank you so much for listening to this episode of "Try @ TXST," and thank you so much to Mary for coming on the podcast and talking to us all about the Outdoor Rec Center, the adventures and the river. We hope you enjoyed this episode and see you on the river.